The Whallonsburg Grange Hall will host five lectures for its fall Lyceum series on the theme of “Landscapes, Real and Imagined”. The series takes place on Tuesday nights at 7:30 beginning on September 25 and running through October 23. The Grange Lyceum continues the tradition, begun in the mid-19th century, of community-sponsored lectures, debates, oration and musical presentations.
The series will examine different aspects of the historical and physical landscape, along with some that have been invented or interpreted. Presenters will discuss how what we “see” in the landscape is altered by our individual perspective and what we think we know about these places. Lectures will be followed by discussion from the audience.
The series opens on September 25 with “Game of Thrones’ Historical Landscape: From Vikings and Mongols to Wildlings and Dothraki.” Pablo Bose, professor of Geography at the University of Vermont, will discuss the parallels in world history and the geopolitical roles of weather, climate and geography in this popular book and television series. The following Tuesday, October 2, features a presentation on women farmers and their role in sustainability and local food. On October 9, the series welcomes Adirondack scientist and photographer Brendan Wiltse. His talk, “Adirondack Landscapes Through a Lens,” will include stunning landscape visuals and a discussion of photography as a tool to draw interest, awareness and emotional connections to wild places.
The series continues on October 16 with historian Amy Godine speaking on “Tales From the Black Woods: Experiences of 19th Century Black Adirondackers” on October 16. Her extensive research into the history of African Americans who lived and farmed in the pre-Civil War era Adirondacks has produced a trove of stories about these little-known residents. The Lyceum series concludes on October 23 with a lecture on Rockwell Kent at Asgaard Farm. This lecture focuses on the painter’s life as a dairy farmer, social activist, writer, and artist during his 45 years living and working on his farm in Ausable Forks.
All lectures begin at 7:30pm on Tuesdays. Admission is $5.00, students are free. The complete schedule is:
- September 25, Game of Thrones’ Historical landscape: From Vikings and Mongols to Wildlings and Dothraki
- October 2, Women Working the Land — Sustainable Farming and Local Food
- October 9, Adirondack Landscapes Through the Lens
- October 16, Tales from the Black Woods: Experiences of 19th Century Black Adirondackers
- October 23, Working Landscapes: Rockwell Kent at Asgaard Farm
The Grange is located at 1610 NYS Route 22 in Essex, New York, five miles south of the Essex ferry dock. For more information, visit www.thegrangehall.info.
Leave a Reply